Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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589. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of court summonses outstanding on a monthly basis by Garda division since January 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39829/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Garda authorities that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and the time required to compile it would be unduly onerous and would require a disproportionate amount of resources to generate a response.

As the Deputy will be aware, the restrictions imposed on foot of the COVID-19 pandemic have had the effect of curtailing the numbers of people that can safely attend indoor venues. Courthouses are one type of venue where new arrangements have had to be put in place. Since the start of the pandemic, priority has been given to areas of court business such as domestic violence applications, cases involving custody matters and criminal jury trials.

I am informed that the pandemic led to a cessation of scheduling summonses by the Courts Service from March to the end of July. When scheduling restarted, a backlog of applications for summonses had built up. The Courts Service is working with An Garda Síochána to implement a plan to clear this backlog over the coming months and have these matters before the Courts at the earliest possible opportunity.